Technical Brief: Building Pharmaceutical Management Capacity in South Sudan

South Sudan’s health system is struggling to overcome a myriad of challenges, including poor pharmaceutical supply management practices, weak infrastructure, and inadequate skilled manpower. The outbreak of civil unrest in the nascent nation in December 2013 further exacerbated the already dire situation. South Sudan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, estimated at 789/100,000 live births. The country’s HIV prevalence rate increased from about 2% in 2000 to 2.6% in 2015 among adults, according to the South Sudan HIV/AIDS Commission and Ministry of Health. As of 2014, only 6% of 15 million people living with HIV were on antiretroviral therapy (ART).